Rahul Gandhi booked over temple loot play in Parliament
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Varanasi: Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has been booked by Varanasi Police over the INDIA bloc's Parliament protest targeting the alleged Ayodhya Ram Temple donation collection scam, with the case accusing him of insulting Sanatan Dharma and hurting religious sentiments.
The FIR also names Purnia MP Pappu Yadav and Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad from Ayodhya.
The protest, staged on Friday inside the Parliament complex under the banner 'Chanda Chori', highlighted allegations surrounding the Ayodhya Ram Temple donation collection and condemned the police action against student protesters. As part of the demonstration, opposition leaders set up mock donation boxes while Pappu Yadav, dressed in saffron robes, enacted a scene in which money collected as offerings was diverted into his own pocket. Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders also participated in the symbolic act by placing money in the donation box.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi and several senior opposition leaders joined the protest, which also demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
According to Varanasi Police, the case was registered at Kotwali Police Station following complaints by Hindu seers alleging that the protest performance insulted Lord Ram and Sanatan Dharma and wounded the religious sentiments of devotees.